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[0:00] Alan Seales: Welcome to another episode of The Theatre Podcast, intimate personal conversations with theatre's biggest talents. I'm your host, Alan Seales. And as always, you can find us online at theatre underscore podcast on Instagram and Twitter, and on the web at thetheatrepodcast.com or even on Facebook slash Official Theatre Podcast. Jillian Hochman sitting with me here again during our reflection section.

[0:26] Jillian Hochman: Hey.

[0:29] Alan Seales: How you doing?

[0:30] Jillian Hochman: I'm great. How are you?

[0:31] Alan Seales: I'm okay. Actually, I'm good. That's a lie. I'm better than okay.

[0:34] Jillian Hochman: You're doing great.

[0:35] Alan Seales: I'm doing great today. We're about to release Beth Leavel's episode. And we interviewed her recently. She's now the second person we've interviewed that has a Broadway resume that is almost as long as or longer than I have been alive. Nancy Opal being the first. These wonderful, wonderful women who have just been in the business for decades, literally. And it was very interesting to me how both of them mentioned how the business side of things has changed. And even though it doesn't much relate directly to their acting, singing, dancing talent, with all other things being equal when you're trying to cast two people, their social media influence plays a huge part of that.

[1:16] Jillian Hochman: Yeah, that changes everything now. And the amount of exposure you already have and how much talent you have in relation to your relationship with the internet seems to really make a difference.

[1:29] Alan Seales: Yeah. And it makes me wonder how the industry is going to change in another decade or two as the kids of yesterday become the producers of tomorrow. And they are expecting that, oh, this great lead over here, she or he must have 100,000 followers. I don't want to see anyone like the type, the character breakdown. It's going to be tall, leading person type of genre must have 50,000 Instagram followers. I hope we don't get to that. That sounds like some weird dystopian future that, you know, it would be in some Tarantino movie or something.

[2:06] Jillian Hochman: I don't think we're ever going to get to that. I think it's going to play a factor into it. I think if you have the talent, you're right for the part. That's really going to be what makes or breaks it.

[2:13] Alan Seales: I really hope so. Because that's what you're going to see. You're going to see somebody with great talent. You're not going to see someone with a ton of Instagram followers. But at the same time, it's always been a thing. People have always put celebrities into shows because of their popularity. It's just now we have followers and it's much more easier to be an influencer. Whereas before it was you were on TV or you were in a movie and they threw you on a stage to sell tickets.

[2:36] Jillian Hochman: True.

[2:36] Alan Seales: It's similar. But now anybody can do it, which is also kind of inspiring too.

[2:42] Jillian Hochman: Well, yeah, I can do it myself.

[2:44] Alan Seales: You can do it yourself. You can get access to these people on YouTube. And then I don't want to go down a rat hole of how marketing is going to change too, but I'm sure it will. But anyway, we've been rambling along long enough here. Let's let our listeners get into this episode. Please enjoy our episode here with the one and only Beth Leavel.

[3:01] Beth Leavel: Beth Leavel, thank you for talking with me today.

[3:13] Alan Seales: You're so welcome. We've been chatting for a while beforehand, but through the magic of editing, we'll just begin here.

[3:18] Beth Leavel: That's why we're giggling. Yes. You made your Broadway debut in the original 42nd Street and now currently starring as Didi in The Prom, which is your magic 13, you were telling me?

[3:34] Beth Leavel: Yes, that's my story. I'm sticking to it. It's my lucky 13th. Yeah, I'm just so proud of the show and it happens to be number 13 and there's 13 Broadway debuts in it. And I swear Casey Nicholaw, our director, this is his 13th something that I forgot involved with this show. So I'm just feeling our show's a big hit and I think it's because it's the number, lucky 13.

[3:59] Alan Seales: And you've got a Tony nomination for Baby, It's You and then you won a Tony for The Drowsy Chaperone.

[4:06] Beth Leavel: Yeah. But we'll get to all that, but I want to rewind a little bit.

[4:10] Alan Seales: Go. Rewind, you hear me?

[4:12] Beth Leavel: I did. When I get tired, it comes out to my Southern.

[4:15] Alan Seales: Yeah, because I'm looking at the word Raleigh, North Carolina on my notes and I can't help because I am from that area as well, which I've talked about several times on this podcast. Seems a lot of people are from the North Carolina area. North Carolina, born in Raleigh, right?

[4:31] Beth Leavel: Yeah. So tell me about that. What was your childhood like back then and how did you get into theater in the first place?

[4:38] Beth Leavel: Oh, it was simpler back in the day. I didn't get into theater. I didn't even know what musicals were, which I really didn't. No one in my family was musical. I think my mom sang in a choir at school. My grandfather kind of toyed around with the violin and sang at church in Greensboro, North Carolina. I didn't do my first musical until my senior year in high school in Raleigh, North Carolina at Broughton High School because a friend of mine, Jan Lee Herndon, hi Jan, who's still in business as well, said you should audition for this show because it's a great way to meet guys.

[5:18] Alan Seales: Did it work?

[5:19] Beth Leavel: Yeah. But what was so interesting about it was when I had no idea what auditioning was and I went in and I actually got this third lead, the Bonnie Jean role in Brigadoon, which was a dance role, which is hysterical if you know my lack of technique in the dance department. And I remember the first day of rehearsal, because you know in high school rehearsals last what, six months or something?

[5:44] Alan Seales: Oh, it's forever. It's months, yeah.

[5:48] Beth Leavel: For months and years and years before the show goes up. But I remember being... It's like coming as a freshman and you do the show as a senior. That's your reward. I just remember thinking, who are these people? And they're just like me and how in the world can I remain in this oxygen? And I do, I literally remember that light bulb kind of going off in my soul thinking, what have I missed? What is happening? But I in Raleigh, North Carolina in the 70s and 80s had no idea what to do with that curiosity. So I went to Meredith College in Raleigh, did every show I could get my hands on, but they only had a theater minor. It's more than NC State had. What was it? A concentration is what was available to me at NC State. You sit over there and concentrate on theater.

[6:33] Alan Seales: Think really hard about it.

[6:37] Beth Leavel: It really is about theater and see what happens. And I have a degree in social work counseling, which came in really handy. And like I said, I did everything I could get my hands on, including an experimental show at NC State the year I graduated. Can you remember the name of it?

[6:49] Beth Leavel: Voices. Oh, it was very artsy. It was six women sitting around doing monologues forever. And I did write a little theater. I just could not get enough of it. I couldn't get enough of it. And I had a mentor, dare I say an influencer before they were called influencers who really, really, her name was Linda Bamford. She really encouraged and pushed. And I was terrified at the thought of moving to New York. So I went and have an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. And then I moved after that.

[7:32] Alan Seales: Did at NC State or RLT, did you ever cross paths with Haskell Fitzsimmons?

[7:38] Beth Leavel: Absolutely. Oh, I love that man.

[7:40] Alan Seales: Not enough. Loved that man. I know.

[7:43] Beth Leavel: I did several shows with him. His heart and reputation preceded him.

[7:50] Alan Seales: Harry was a dear, dear, dear man.

[7:55] Beth Leavel: Yeah. Yeah. He was there for decades.

[7:57] Alan Seales: Yeah, I don't know how I missed him, but I did.

[7:57] Beth Leavel: Wonderful. And John McElwee at NC State. Do you know John?

[8:01] Beth Leavel: I know the name. John. He just retired. He just retired.

[8:04] Alan Seales: Yes. This last, yeah, a couple months ago.

[8:06] Beth Leavel: Oh, my gosh. He was there for decades too.

[8:10] Alan Seales: I think they, sorry, friends, if I'm wrong. Yeah, they think they renamed one of the halls after him.

[8:18] Beth Leavel: Good. So yeah, he was incredible.

[8:21] Beth Leavel: I have a plaque at Meredith. Do you?

[8:24] Alan Seales: Yes, a plaque of my head, my resume.

[8:29] Beth Leavel: So from the shows you've done at Meredith?

[8:29] Alan Seales: No, from one of my New York things. I was inducted into a Hall of Fame at Meredith, and there's a plaque with my face on it.

[8:33] Beth Leavel: Oh, that's nice.

[8:37] Alan Seales: Very, very honored. So what year was it then that you came up to New York?

[8:41] Beth Leavel: The very end of 1981, the beginning of 1982, like November, December, something like that. And then Broadway debut in 85.

[8:50] Alan Seales: Was it 85? Yes, right. Because I was out almost a year with the national tour of 42nd Street, and the role opened up. And they asked me, did I want to come in? And I was like the fourth replacement for Anytime Annie. And I stayed with it for like four years.

[9:05] Alan Seales: So you came up to New York and then left New York to go on tour for four years?

[9:08] Beth Leavel: That's what we do. Gotta eat.

[9:11] Alan Seales: Yep. Yeah, I guess that's what a lot of people do. Did you fall into that role easily? Or was it kind of a struggle for you to find that role at first?

[9:17] Beth Leavel: The role... Or find something to pay the bills?

[9:24] Beth Leavel: I was pretty lucky. Right when I moved up, dear friends of mine had written a show, and they needed, literally, it was like Mickey and Judy putting on a show at a barn. Now it's called showcases or 29-hour readings. But back then, they raised enough money to rent out the tiny little theater on Theater Row called South Street Theater, which is now demolished. It's probably a high rise or something. I think it is. And they had written a musical called The World's Greatest Girl Detective based on the Nancy Drew mysteries. And I played the loving Hispanic neighbor. That's right. But I had a funny song. And I remember sitting backstage at the South Street Theater on the stairs. And if I had... This was the spring after I moved up, I do believe.

If I had known... I thought it was just going to be their friends, maybe, and family. I just moved from North Carolina. If I had known who was in that audience that night, it was so many industry people, so many agents, so many... Anyway, that night, because I had a very funny song as the Hispanic neighbor, was it Consuelo? Yeah. And I sang a song called My Life Has Been No Cama De Rosas. That's right. It was very funny. And that night when I got home, before we had cell phones, children, there was a thing called... What was it called? Like an answering service. Bells are ringing. I can't remember what this was. And you would just call every day to check and see if anyone had left you a job or an opportunity.

And when I got home, I had about 15 calls from agents wanting to represent me. And I really connected with this man who was an assistant at a very tiny agency, but I knew someone who knew him, so it felt safe. I've been with that man, Mark Redente, longer than any other man in my life. And now he is... I don't know if you've heard of the agency, Bauman, Redente, BRS, Gage. He's the R in BRS. Wow. Yeah. He's a dear, dear friend.

[11:34] Alan Seales: So you've been with that for a long time. So that worked out.

[11:34] Beth Leavel: Yeah. That worked out.

[11:38] Beth Leavel: Yeah, it did. I did that and then I went, I remember, I went to Munich and did a whole summer there as third ensemble member from the left, a couple of other things, and then this tour happened pretty quickly.

[11:51] Alan Seales: So, your Broadway debut was in '85 and then 12 years later was actually your first original cast debut, in Crazy for You.

[12:01] Beth Leavel: Yeah, in '92.

[12:02] Alan Seales: And then in the meantime, you worked on Young Frankenstein in 2008.

[12:09] Beth Leavel: That was right after a little show called...

[12:11] Alan Seales: Oh, sorry. No, no, no. 2008. Sorry, my...

[12:13] Beth Leavel: You're skipping. I like it. I'm with you. I'm with you, though. I'm going.

[12:16] Alan Seales: Sorry. I was looking at '85 to '92 and then, oh wait, somehow fell in the middle. That's not right at all.

[12:21] Beth Leavel: So, rewind it. 1985, '92. What did you do in the meantime between, for those 12 years?

[12:27] Beth Leavel: After Crazy for You, I had a kid and then after that, I did Show Boat and then I did The Civil War and then I did The Revival of 42nd Street.

[12:42] Beth Leavel: That's right. I'm old enough to have been in one of the original companies of Broadway companies and The Revival.

[12:49] Beth Leavel: And after that, I auditioned for Drowsy Chaperone and my world changed.

[12:57] Alan Seales: Yes. Well, how did it change? What was different?

[13:00] Beth Leavel: A, I got a job. B, I won a Tony Award for it and that kind of changes. That shifts your roots a little bit in the acting world.

[13:10] Alan Seales: Did you know when I auditioned for Drowsy Chaperone, I didn't get it?

[13:15] Beth Leavel: Really?

[13:16] Alan Seales: I went in and I had my little song I was going to sing because I was even talking to Bob Martin about this who wrote it, who wrote Drowsy Chaperone and The Prom, one of the writers.

[13:27] Beth Leavel: They didn't really know what this role was so they just kept kind of throwing stuff up against the wall or actors and see which one stuck.

[13:35] Beth Leavel: So I went in and I sang my song and I read the side and it just wasn't what I like to call on the page.

[13:43] Beth Leavel: They didn't know what it was. It wasn't like you could go in and do a funny monologue. It was one-liners and attitude.

[13:51] Beth Leavel: It was hard. So I did the best I could. I got a call back.

[13:54] Beth Leavel: I went in, did the same thing, wore my same outfit I wore the first time, did the best I could and about a week later, Casey Nicholaw, the director, was kind enough to call me and I could just tell when he called and I went, I know I didn't get it.

[14:11] Beth Leavel: I said, I totally understand. I don't think that I'm the person to give birth to this woman, to give her a voice.

[14:18] Beth Leavel: Maybe, I don't know, someone older possibly? He was saying, yeah, we think that too.

[14:23] Beth Leavel: So lo and behold, they went to Los Angeles and auditioned all these fabulous women.

[14:28] Beth Leavel: Eartha Kitt, Tina Louise, know who she is? Good. There's a line about her in The Prom.

[14:37] Beth Leavel: Anyway, she was Ginger on Gilligan's Island. Joan Van Ark, I mean that kind of ilk, those classy women.

[14:46] Beth Leavel: Not that they didn't give good auditions, but nothing was serving the roles that the author's intention were searching for.

[14:55] Beth Leavel: So they came back to New York, kept auditioning, kept auditioning, kept auditioning.

[14:59] Beth Leavel: I honestly think they finally just gave up because in October, I got a call from my agent saying, you have a job offer, which we love because that means you don't have to audition.

[15:12] Beth Leavel: I'll take it, whatever it is. And they said, you've been offered the job of Beatrice Stockwell in The Drowsy Chaperone.

[15:17] Beth Leavel: And I said, no, I'm so sorry, you have that information incorrect. I didn't get that.

[15:22] Beth Leavel: So I made them call to make sure that that was actually true.

[15:27] Beth Leavel: My agent called me back, Mark. He said, no, you're being offered the role of Beatrice Stockwell.

[15:35] Beth Leavel: You leave for a three-month out-of-town tryout in Los Angeles. Pack your bags.

[15:41] Beth Leavel: So bam. So there you go. They trusted me to give birth to that role.

[15:47] Beth Leavel: And it was fun and really hard.

[15:50] Alan Seales: So you got that and then came back, Tony nominated, Tony winner.

[15:56] Beth Leavel: Which is so satisfying when you know that they didn't know what the role was and you all gave birth to it, these fabulous, creative people and me.

[16:03] Beth Leavel: I feel so proud of that. Our work paid off. Look what we did.

[16:10] Alan Seales: I enjoy that. Are you part of this conversation that's happening right now? I'm going to take us off on a tangent for a second.

[16:15] Beth Leavel: I love tangents.

[16:17] Alan Seales: The conversation that people are trying to get, the actors and the people that are in the workshops and the readings to be part of, profit sharing.

[16:26] Alan Seales: Like basically what Lynn did with Hamilton.

[16:29] Beth Leavel: Are you, I guess, selfishly, you're probably in support of that.

[16:34] Beth Leavel: Of course. It's a big pie. We all should get a part of it fairly.

[16:39] Beth Leavel: Particularly a role like Drowsy and Dee Dee.

[16:42] Beth Leavel: My DNA is all over it.

[16:45] Beth Leavel: My creative process is all over them.

[16:48] Beth Leavel: So I'm hoping that works out.

[16:51] Alan Seales: So it's not going to happen retroactively though.

[16:54] Alan Seales: You're not going to go back and get residuals from Drowsy.

[16:57] Beth Leavel: Wouldn't that be great?

[16:59] Beth Leavel: You get a couple pennies.

[17:01] Beth Leavel: I've done some commercials and I'll literally get, I got a check two weeks ago for seven cents.

[17:08] Beth Leavel: Woo. It's on me. Let's go.

[17:11] Alan Seales: All right. So back to our train of thought here.

[17:15] Alan Seales: So yeah, 2008. Next thing.

[17:17] Alan Seales: You worked on Frankenstein.

[17:19] Beth Leavel: I was reading that Mel Brooks made you a little nervous.

[17:22] Beth Leavel: Well, sometimes I love teaching audition technique and just about life in the theater to high school kids and university kids.

[17:36] Beth Leavel: I was telling the other day to a group of kids at Syracuse that please always be prepared.

[17:43] Beth Leavel: And this is my best example of when I wasn't.

[17:46] Beth Leavel: And it was for Young Frankenstein.

[17:48] Beth Leavel: I was out doing some summer stock gig.

[17:51] Beth Leavel: My agent calls and says, you have an audition to replace Andrea Martin as Pharrell Booker in Young Frankenstein.

[17:59] Beth Leavel: And I had not seen the show.

[18:03] Beth Leavel: My vocal coach was not available.

[18:05] Beth Leavel: I had essentially 28 hours.

[18:08] Beth Leavel: So what's a smart actor going to do but go to the theater where it's playing and purchase the CD?

[18:19] Beth Leavel: It was '08, yeah.

[18:20] Beth Leavel: There were CDs then.

[18:22] Beth Leavel: I had a very finite amount of time to cram.

[18:25] Beth Leavel: So I listened to that CD.

[18:27] Beth Leavel: I wasn't off book.

[18:29] Beth Leavel: Sometimes I like to get as much of it off the page as I can and go and memorize.

[18:33] Beth Leavel: But I just didn't have time.

[18:35] Beth Leavel: And I thought, well, this is just an initial audition.

[18:37] Beth Leavel: It's just going to be Susan Stroman, who I have such a huge amount of respect for.

[18:42] Beth Leavel: And she knows that I maybe didn't have enough time to prepare.

[18:47] Beth Leavel: So I still am listening to the CD.

[18:51] Beth Leavel: But in and of itself, the actual, what they play on the piano, the accompanist does not play what's on the CD usually.

[18:59] Beth Leavel: So that's always thrilling.

[19:01] Beth Leavel: So I was really going in so unprepared.

[19:05] Beth Leavel: So I walked in the door thinking it was going to be three or four people.

[19:09] Beth Leavel: There was a table of 25 people behind this table to hear me audition.

[19:18] Beth Leavel: Susan Stroman, all the creatives, the musical director.

[19:22] Beth Leavel: And on the other side was Mel Brooks.

[19:26] Beth Leavel: And a bunch of people I didn't know in suits.

[19:30] Beth Leavel: I was, damn.

[19:34] Beth Leavel: So now I try to do the best I can.

[19:39] Beth Leavel: I finish what I think is singing the song that I have listened to on the CD.

[19:45] Beth Leavel: And he says something to me that I so deserved.

[19:49] Beth Leavel: In the kindest way, he went, hmm, I know you're better than that.

[19:55] Beth Leavel: Because I saw you do Drowsy Chaperone.

[19:57] Beth Leavel: And he stood up and he came over to me.

[19:59] Beth Leavel: And I just wanted to fall on the floor apologizing to the entire room for wasting their time.

[20:04] Beth Leavel: He said, essentially, give me one more chance.

[20:08] Beth Leavel: So I went home.

[20:11] Beth Leavel: And I almost came in costume, off book, prepared with makeup for my next audition.

[20:17] Beth Leavel: Making really strong choices.

[20:20] Beth Leavel: And I walked in.

[20:21] Beth Leavel: Of course, he wasn't there.

[20:22] Beth Leavel: I just wanted to prove to him that I wasn't a failure.

[20:26] Beth Leavel: And I got it.

[20:28] Alan Seales: How long was it between the first and the second audition?

[20:31] Beth Leavel: Not that long. Maybe a week.

[20:32] Alan Seales: That's a good time.

[20:34] Beth Leavel: That was enough for me to really be a better actor.

[20:38] Beth Leavel: I was so prepared.

[20:40] Beth Leavel: I was so prepared.

[20:42] Beth Leavel: I actually, she asked, Susan Stroman asked me to read for Frau Blucher.

[20:47] Beth Leavel: And the other role, the Megan Mullally role.

[20:50] Beth Leavel: I can't think of the name of that role.

[20:52] Beth Leavel: Anyway, sorry, I'm old.

[20:54] Beth Leavel: Things, hard drive's full.

[20:56] Beth Leavel: So literally, I came in memorized all the sides.

[21:00] Beth Leavel: Had a costume change that was funny.

[21:02] Beth Leavel: You know what chicken cutlets are when you want your breasts bigger?

[21:06] Beth Leavel: So I had those for Megan Mullally's role.

[21:08] Beth Leavel: And then when I went immediately into Frau Blucher, I threw them across the room.

[21:12] Beth Leavel: I thought it was rather funny.

[21:14] Beth Leavel: And then the next day, I got the offer to, they offered me Frau Blucher.

[21:20] Alan Seales: Blucher.

[21:21] Beth Leavel: Nice.

[21:22] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[21:25] Beth Leavel: Yes, you got a Drama Desk Award for that.

[21:28] Beth Leavel: For Beatrice Stockwell in Drowsy Chaperone.

[21:30] Beth Leavel: Yes.

[21:31] Alan Seales: But then, so you came in '09 then, came into Mamma Mia, replacing Carolee Carmelo.

[21:38] Alan Seales: Do you have a preference to, of originating a role versus coming in and replacing somebody like Carolee?

[21:47] Beth Leavel: Oh yes, I do.

[21:48] Beth Leavel: I sure do.

[21:49] Beth Leavel: There is nothing like originating a role.

[21:51] Beth Leavel: There is just nothing like it.

[21:53] Beth Leavel: A, because it's written for you.

[21:55] Beth Leavel: It's written for your comedy.

[21:57] Beth Leavel: It's written for your high notes.

[21:58] Beth Leavel: It's written for your low notes.

[21:59] Beth Leavel: It's written for all the things that make you good.

[22:04] Beth Leavel: So to have that privilege in Dee Dee Allen and in Drowsy Chaperone, it's really great to originate a role.

[22:12] Beth Leavel: Plus, you get to do the cast album and everything else.

[22:16] Beth Leavel: And you don't ever have to hear, oh, well, when so-and-so did it, why don't you do it like that?

[22:21] Beth Leavel: Oh, when so-and-so did it, you know, when so-and-so did it.

[22:25] Beth Leavel: So it's an ownership, and it's really a rare and special privilege to originate a role on Broadway or anywhere, but especially on Broadway.

[22:34] Alan Seales: When you do go in to replace somebody, do you come in and try to emulate what they were doing, or do you kind of bring yourself into it?

[22:40] Beth Leavel: It depends on what the creatives want.

[22:42] Beth Leavel: I hope I don't have to imitate because I'm a terrible imitator, and I think it's not very truthful or authentic of you as an artist.

[22:48] Beth Leavel: And the Mamma Mia people were so good about that.

[22:52] Beth Leavel: They gave me – it must have been a month's worth of rehearsal.

[22:55] Alan Seales: That's a lot.

[22:57] Beth Leavel: No one does that.

[22:58] Alan Seales: That's a lot for a replacement, yeah.

[23:00] Beth Leavel: No one does that.

[23:01] Beth Leavel: They also said to me, you know, we would go into a studio, and they had like the faux set set up and props, which is also unusual.

[23:08] Beth Leavel: And they said, just kind of organically do what you want to do.

[23:12] Beth Leavel: I'm like, what?

[23:14] Beth Leavel: What? That's never happened.

[25:47] Alan Seales: So sorry, but I've never said this before to someone, but tell me about you. I mean, she really doesn't ask that question. Who gets to say stuff like that?

[25:57] Beth Leavel: Yes. Yep. But my input wasn't like, oh, let's write a new line. My input was, I would do the comedy, and if it didn't work, they would rewrite it until it worked, and it would be up to me to make it work.

[26:18] Alan Seales: Really?

[26:18] Beth Leavel: Yeah. And if it didn't work, Bob, Martin, and Chad would go, well, it's not funny if Beth can't make it funny.

[26:24] Alan Seales: That's a lot of trust.

[26:26] Beth Leavel: That's a lot of trust, idiots. But together, we would just, you know, so we understand each other so much in that room, that it made creating and discovering and making mistakes and being successful, it made it easy. It was hard, but it was easy because the work and the craft is so good. And the story is so good. So they just kept polishing it and polishing it. And that was our job in front of our scene partner, the audience. And of course, ultimately, they tell us what works.

[27:01] Alan Seales: Right, right. And then Casey, I mean, you've worked with Casey for a long time.

[27:05] Beth Leavel: It's crazy for you.

[27:06] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[27:06] Beth Leavel: You know, he's in the ensemble of Crazy For You.

[27:08] Alan Seales: No kidding.

[27:08] Beth Leavel: Yeah, we were doing a show in North Carolina at North Carolina Theatre. We were doing Show Boat a long time ago when he was in the ensemble. And my agent, Mark, had sent me the script to Crazy For You. And I was reading it. And I looked at him. I said, Have you read this? This would be great for you. You should audition for it. So I actually feel responsible for the success of his career.

[27:28] Alan Seales: All right, well, then maybe you get pennies every time he gets paid.

[27:30] Beth Leavel: You're welcome.

[27:31] Alan Seales: You're welcome, Casey. Casey was my director at NCT. For My Fair Lady, I was in the ensemble.

[27:35] Beth Leavel: Really?

[27:37] Alan Seales: Eliza Shadow, Elena?

[27:39] Beth Leavel: Elena.

[27:39] Alan Seales: Elena Shadow. Yeah, she was our Eliza. She's wonderful. But yeah, small world, North Carolina world, man, it all comes back.

[27:48] Beth Leavel: I love that.

[27:49] Alan Seales: It all comes back.

[27:49] Beth Leavel: Goof, nah.

[27:51] Alan Seales: Goof, nah. In 2014, the workshops for Something Rotten.

[27:57] Beth Leavel: Oh, right.

[27:58] Alan Seales: Yes. Can we talk about that?

[27:59] Beth Leavel: Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. There are no regrets. I wasn't asked to continue to the Broadway show because I just literally was too old.

[28:13] Alan Seales: Really?

[28:14] Beth Leavel: Yeah, that's okay. Because the character was supposed to get pregnant and have a baby. And I'm like, oh, come on. So they were very kind and supportive. And I felt like I gave a lot to the show. And if I had done Something Rotten, I wouldn't have been able to do something else. And I can't remember what it was. So, you know, I'm a big kumbaya that if it's meant to happen, it's meant to happen. And it didn't and something else did. So that's okay.

[28:43] Alan Seales: Yeah, I guess that's fair. Do you still have to audition a lot? Like, does Tony winner kind of peel back a layer of having to audition all the time?

[28:52] Beth Leavel: Yes. All the time. I mean, not all the time. There are times when I have to audition, particularly if it's someone from London or something or a director, I don't know, I really would like to audition. Because I don't want him to feel like he has to hire me because I won a Tony Award. I really want to earn that. Plus, I would like to see what it's like being in the room with them, him or her. But I don't have to audition as much as I used to before the Tony. Thank you.

[29:19] Alan Seales: Yeah, that's not bad. I would expect that. And then for someone who has done as many shows as you have 13 shows, which is incredible. I feel like you have a reputation as well that kind of precedes like...

[29:31] Beth Leavel: Yeah, if I hadn't won a Tony Award, I think just consistency and professional and yeah, I love what I do.

[29:37] Alan Seales: And kind of being just a nice person in general, somebody that people want to work with.

[29:43] Beth Leavel: That always helps.

[29:44] Alan Seales: Yeah. And you've worked in LA and San Diego. Do you have a preference, I guess? Would you live out there if you could, or is it New York your home?

[29:55] Beth Leavel: It's New York. It's my home. New York, Broadway. It's just that's my ideal life is eight shows a week. Being with, being happy, you know, I'm engaged and just being here. My kids are here. I'm happy here. It's what I know.

[30:11] Alan Seales: How long have you been in New York then?

[30:13] Beth Leavel: Like 30s I'm here. I can't do the math. I don't do math.

[30:15] Alan Seales: Yeah, when did you say you moved up?

[30:17] Beth Leavel: Like 82, whichever. I can't remember if it was 81 or 82.

[30:21] Alan Seales: Yeah, so that's...

[30:21] Beth Leavel: Use your fingers and count.

[30:23] Alan Seales: 14, 16 years. 16 years. We're in 2018 now. Yeah. Yeah. 26 years. 26 years.

[30:30] Beth Leavel: No longer than that.

[30:31] Alan Seales: Let's see.

[30:32] Beth Leavel: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Longer than that.

[30:35] Alan Seales: Think about it. 2018 minus 1982 equals...

[30:41] Alan Seales: 36.

[30:42] Beth Leavel: Thank you.

[30:42] Alan Seales: 36.

[30:43] Beth Leavel: You know, when you cross over, I've been here longer than you've ever been anywhere else. Yeah, I did that.

[30:49] Alan Seales: I guess I would... Yeah, I've been here longer than anywhere else too. 11 years.

[30:53] Beth Leavel: See?

[30:54] Alan Seales: Ish, maybe. North Carolina, I moved multiple places in North Carolina. So if you want to have North Carolina as a whole, that I haven't been here longer.

[31:02] Beth Leavel: Nope, that didn't count.

[31:06] Alan Seales: Okay, doesn't count.

[31:07] Beth Leavel: I loved LA and San Diego. It's beautiful. But believe it, I like... Besides Broadway, I like the snow. I like the weather.

[31:16] Alan Seales: Here?

[31:17] Beth Leavel: Yes.

[31:17] Alan Seales: The snow is so nasty.

[31:19] Beth Leavel: It does. But I think that's from being from North Carolina, because when it snowed, everything stopped.

[31:24] Alan Seales: Oh, no one knows how to function.

[31:26] Beth Leavel: Exactly. So you didn't go to school, you had soup.

[31:29] Alan Seales: The threat of snow. They're like, we're canceling school for a week.

[31:31] Beth Leavel: So snow, I just still have this place in my heart. Joy. It's like, see, snow, it's like, yes. And then you have to get on the train and go through the muddy slush. But initially, it's joyous.

[31:43] Alan Seales: Until you step in that...

[31:45] Beth Leavel: Yes.

[31:45] Alan Seales: ...six inch puddle on the corner of a clogged storm drain. Yes. In The Prom, Dee Dee Allen, Brooks is one funny dude.

[31:52] Beth Leavel: Oh my god, you should try to rehearse with him, much less be on stage with him. He's the funniest man I think I've ever met in my life.

[32:01] Alan Seales: I was gonna ask about that.

[32:02] Beth Leavel: Oh gosh.

[32:02] Alan Seales: Do you guys make each other crack on stage?

[32:03] Beth Leavel: No, we don't.

[32:05] Alan Seales: Really?

[32:05] Beth Leavel: No, we can't cross that line. You know what I mean? Or else the show would go to... So we respect the show so much. But some days it's really, really, really hard. Because Brooks is, and I mean this in the ultimate compliment, he's dangerous on stage. He's dangerous. Because if he goes up or off, it's so funny. And to try to stay in Dee Dee land, some days is really, really hard. But so far, it's we've been successful. Watch done, I will be like, and turn around and you know, your shoulders are going up and down. But he is truly, truly funny. He and Chris, I mean, just a funny group of people. Angie, just funny, funny people. Oh, makes coming to work really fun.

[32:53] Alan Seales: Yeah, it's eight shows a week is a lot.

[32:56] Beth Leavel: It's a lot. People have no idea.

[32:59] Alan Seales: And you're I mean, your songs, they're hard. They're hard. Yeah.

[33:03] Beth Leavel: Really hard.

[33:04] Alan Seales: Like you're belting your ass off.

[33:05] Beth Leavel: I'm not belting my ass off. I'm belting my ass off. But thank God I have vocal technique. And it doesn't hurt me. So far, so good.

[33:12] Alan Seales: Have you gotten sick at all yet?

[33:15] Beth Leavel: Oh, you didn't hear about my... Were you there? Oh, gosh. Sorry. Talking to people in the room. Yes, my third opening night, Thursday, Friday, there was just a lot of activity. Saturday matinee, I woke up and went, Oh, oh, my gosh, I don't feel well. But you'll get over it. And then I threw up. This is so glamorous. I thought, Nope, I can do it. Oh, you can get through it. Just get through it. Just get through it. Maybe you're on the other side of it. Maybe you're on this other side of it. And God bless my understudies. She'd never had a rehearsal. So I got to the theater, got everything I could think of to make me feel better. Got my wig on, my mic on, my dress, went down at places. And I leaned, I looked at Brooks, and he went, How are you feeling?

And I went, Not very good. And I looked at him and said, Oh, my God, I'm gonna throw up. And I ran into the wings and projectile. Oh, most of it went into a trash can. It's so glamorous. And I was out three shows. I was so sick. I felt so bad for my understudy who she was a superstar, Kate Marilli. Superstar. Oh, so proud of her. She went in with no rehearsal. Pretty much 30 seconds notice. They had to hold the curtain. Brooks and Chris went out and made a little speech about what had happened felt great. I cried all the way in the car back to the apartment. I had people there that day.

[34:56] Beth Leavel: But, oh, yes, that was a great day. So, I have been out. I can't believe it. I'm never out.

[35:01] Alan Seales: Did you cry? You really cried on the way back?

[35:03] Beth Leavel: Absolutely.

[35:04] Alan Seales: So, you're...

[35:04] Beth Leavel: Let me ask about that, because you're a very jovial person, and you're very fun to talk to, but like, when you go home,

[35:11] Beth Leavel: and you're not on... Right. I sobbed myself to know I didn't. Do you cry at your sleep? Do you cry yourself to sleep every night?

[35:18] Beth Leavel: No, like, what is the you that nobody sees? I'm much quieter when I'm at home. I don't talk as much, or... You know, you guys, it's so stimulating being here. It brings out my outer, inner ham.

[35:32] Beth Leavel: But when I'm at home, I'm really a lot quieter, and on Mondays, I don't say anything pretty much at all.

[35:39] Alan Seales: Yeah. I'm much more of an introvert than people think I am.

[35:45] Beth Leavel: I would not be surprised. I'm not surprised at that. I think a lot of the very successful people, especially after seeing something like Cher Show, where the whole story almost is about explaining to the audience that, like, she's really a quiet person, and shy, and like, the whole... Have you seen it yet?

[36:02] Alan Seales: Oh my goodness. Same schedule.

[36:06] Beth Leavel: Yeah, right. I mean, yeah. The next time you projectile vomit, see if you can then...

[36:11] Beth Leavel: There you go. I can do a show, make it a half-full approach, as opposed to a winning situation. No, the whole thing is...

[36:18] Beth Leavel: A lot of it is reminding the audience that she's a very shy person.

[36:23] Beth Leavel: And her mother always told her, act like you know what you're doing. And she became the person that we see publicly, but it's not it.

[36:31] Beth Leavel: And I feel, even through these interviews that we're doing now, that a lot of people, like, they struggled with mental health. They've worried about going from job to job, and having anxiety about where the paychecks are gonna come from, or if they're even good enough, and like...

[36:45] Alan Seales: Everyone does that. I mean, I don't know any... That's not true. Most actors I know suffer from some kind of insecurity, and always are wondering where the next paycheck is coming from, and am I good enough?

[36:51] Beth Leavel: That little voice going, oh, oh, if I hit a wrong note, it's like, oh no, oh, I'm awful. Oh, I disappointed. Oh, no.

[37:03] Alan Seales: Yeah. Welcome to our world.

[37:04] Beth Leavel: Well, it's so interesting to me, because, and we were talking about this earlier, it's like, grass is always greener, but on the outside, we're watching, you know, people, we come to the audience, we watch everybody on stage, and it's like, that's Beth Leavel, Tony Award-winning Beth Leavel. Like, she can't do no wrong.

[37:20] Alan Seales: And it's the same kind of thing, like, if you go see a comedian, and they say something, you're like, ha, I'm gonna laugh at that, because I'm predisposed to think they're funny, whereas somebody else who is not funny says the exact same thing, you're like, get out of here.

[37:34] Beth Leavel: Where if, I think if you, if you, if there was a misstep or a misnote, it would just be, it would just be part of the fun.

[37:39] Alan Seales: Really? Oh, that makes me feel better.

[37:43] Beth Leavel: Yeah.

[37:43] Alan Seales: Yeah, yeah, no, I don't think, like, yeah, let me help to take the pressure off of you.

[37:47] Beth Leavel: Thank you.

[37:47] Alan Seales: Yes, so you can go out tonight and have fun.

[37:50] Beth Leavel: Now, believe me, I find joy, or I couldn't do it.

[37:56] Beth Leavel: Oh, I have to find joy in it, or literally, I'd have to retire.

[38:03] Alan Seales: Have you had a moment where, where you've, like, kind of struggled to find the next step?

[38:08] Beth Leavel: Not the next step. I've had moments where I've struggled to find the next job. Just like, I remember after I had my, my kids getting back into that world, and there was a time before the revival of 42nd Street, where I was like, I, maybe I should teach or do something.

[38:22] Beth Leavel: Because, not because I didn't have the passion or wanted to do it, it just, the work wasn't coming.

[38:28] Alan Seales: The work wasn't coming.

[38:32] Beth Leavel: And then after 42nd Street, it just, then Drowsy happened, and that kind of paid the bills for a while.

[38:41] Alan Seales: Yeah, I guess, more, more emotionally or mentally, have you been in a moment where you're like, this is, this is just too much? Like, the anxiety, I, I kind of, what you were saying a second ago about, am I good enough? Am I gonna hit the right note? Am I gonna hit my mark? Is that, that all sounds like anxiety to me.

[38:57] Beth Leavel: It is anxiety, of course, it's, yeah, absolutely, absolutely. But I refuse to let it win.

[38:59] Beth Leavel: I refuse to let it take my joy.

[39:21] Alan Seales: That's, you can't ask for anything better than that, I guess.

[39:21] Beth Leavel: Until people start booing me. Boo, get off. You're not singing high enough.

[39:28] Alan Seales: Ah, I. Do you go out to the stage door and greet people afterwards?

[39:30] Beth Leavel: Yes.

[39:30] Beth Leavel: Yeah, particularly with Prom. I mean, there's the young kids out there, just, they're so, the show has touched them in such a way that I just want to, I just like to hear what they have to say.

[39:45] Alan Seales: What have they said?

[39:45] Beth Leavel: Thank you. I see myself on stage. Thank you for making me laugh like I haven't laughed in forever. It's like a compilation of loving the show, loving the show, loving Dee Dee, and seeing a LGBTQ character on stage fall in love and kiss.

[40:04] Alan Seales: Yeah, well, so you guys, the, you made history, the show made history on the.

[40:08] Beth Leavel: Apparently we did.

[40:09] Alan Seales: Yeah, with the Macy's Day Parade, you did the same sex kiss on national TV, which, why is that history? Like, why is it, I guess, why did it take so long?

[40:28] Beth Leavel: Exactly. We didn't even think about it. And we didn't, like, yeah, that's what happens. It's a love story. And then some people went, was that going to happen on Macy's? I'm like, yeah, sure. And it did. And look, we're still here and people loved it and are coming to see the show.

[40:47] Alan Seales: Was there ever any conversation? Maybe it didn't even make it to you. I guess maybe with the producers, they're like, oh, should we cut that? Should we do that? Or did they?

[40:47] Beth Leavel: If there was, we didn't hear about it. And we never, never thought we were not doing that. Again, that's just the end of our number. It was like, that's how the show ends. It's not like, ooh, are they or aren't they? Like you said, love is love. That's how the story ends.

[41:05] Alan Seales: It's beautiful.

[41:06] Beth Leavel: And I love it. I love part of it. Part of why I love The Prom is because it's, there's so many things going on. There's multiple stories that all converge at the end. But like the love story, it's a story because the mom, the mom makes it a story because she's homophobic. But the girls themselves are, they're just two people in love.

[41:29] Beth Leavel: They're not like acting like lesbians. I put in air quotes, right? Like what is it? It's just two people who want to be in a relationship. And that's what I find really, really kind of, I think, eye-opening for a lot of people. They're like, oh, that's just a normal relationship like I want to have.

[41:43] Alan Seales: Exactly. Exactly. I love the song. I just want to dance with you. I don't want to make a riot. I don't want to do anything. I don't want to do, I just want to dance with you. I love that.

[41:53] Beth Leavel: At the parade, though, I was, I had sympathy for you guys in 19 degree weather.

[41:58] Beth Leavel: To me, what made history in that parade is that it was the coldest Macy's Day parade weather ever. When we got there for camera rehearsal, it was five degrees.

[42:12] Alan Seales: Oh, goodness.

[42:13] Beth Leavel: I know. It was five degrees.

[42:15] Alan Seales: And your costumes are not very thick.

[42:17] Beth Leavel: They are not. You probably wouldn't notice in that tiny little gold flashy suit. I had long johns on underneath them.

[42:25] Alan Seales: I didn't notice.

[42:26] Beth Leavel: That'll keep me warm. And some kind of under armor, teeny tiny t-shirt. I'm good.

[42:33] Alan Seales: Woo, toasty.

[42:36] Beth Leavel: Yeah.

[42:37] Alan Seales: They did everything they could to keep us warm, but it was really cold.

[42:41] Beth Leavel: Oh, yeah.

[42:42] Alan Seales: My nose is still a little like, like peeling. I think I got a little bit of frostbite. We did it. We did it. So that was a historical day in so many ways.

[42:51] Alan Seales: And you're singing, you're singing live, right?

[42:53] Beth Leavel: No.

[42:54] Alan Seales: Are you singing to tracks? No?

[42:55] Beth Leavel: Mm hmm.

[42:56] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[42:57] Beth Leavel: I don't think, I saw a picture of me singing, you know, we're dancing and stuff. And it's just like the air, the cold air coming out of my, what do you call that? My breath.

[43:07] Alan Seales: The frost mist.

[43:09] Beth Leavel: Exactly.

[43:10] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[43:11] Beth Leavel: You couldn't even see my face.

[43:12] Alan Seales: Yeah. No, it was actually wonderful. I was trying to, I have a two and a half year old and a four year old and I'm trying to get them to like, watch all this.

[43:20] Beth Leavel: And they're like, what is this? Are these commercials? I don't like commercials.

[43:25] Alan Seales: They're very cute.

[43:26] Beth Leavel: They are cute.

[43:27] Alan Seales: How old are your kids?

[43:27] Beth Leavel: 28 and 23.

[43:28] Alan Seales: Do they know what commercials are?

[43:30] Beth Leavel: Probably not.

[43:31] Alan Seales: Not anymore?

[43:32] Beth Leavel: Oh yeah, they do. But you can skip it now.

[43:35] Alan Seales: Yeah. I remember the TiVo. I love that TiVo noise.

[43:38] Beth Leavel: Oh, right.

[43:39] Alan Seales: Cool. So let us wrap this up here. I've got three standard questions that I ask everybody on the podcast. Number one, generally, what motivates you?

[43:48] Beth Leavel: My paycheck. I'm just kidding.

[43:51] Alan Seales: Good answer.

[43:53] Beth Leavel: I know. No, you know what? This sounds so cheesy, but like I was saying, I love what I do. And very few of us get to originate a Broadway show or work on Broadway or do our craft in general and get paid for it. That motivates me.

[44:05] Alan Seales: What advice would you give to your younger self or younger people and the younger people listening now starting out down a similar path?

[44:14] Beth Leavel: I would tell you that you are singular. That no one, no one is like you. And that's the gift that you have to offer.

[44:26] Beth Leavel: So discover your singularity as an artist. Practice your craft. If you're curious and passionate about it, see what, go for it. Just go for it because you are singular. So don't imitate. Don't expect you to, don't expect to be someone else because then you wouldn't be you. And that's who you are as an artist. You discover, discover that.

[44:49] Alan Seales: Nice. And then last question. If you could only see one show for the rest of your life, but you can see it as many times as you want, what would you see?

[44:57] Beth Leavel: Wow. Really? Besides Prom?

[44:59] Alan Seales: Yes.

[45:00] Beth Leavel: There's so many. I mean, I can just choose one.

[45:04] Alan Seales: Yes.

[45:05] Beth Leavel: Gypsy.

[45:06] Alan Seales: Oh, with Patti?

[45:07] Beth Leavel: I don't care. They can have a revolving, you know. That'd be awesome.

[45:12] Alan Seales: Have you seen Prom? Have you seen a video?

[45:13] Beth Leavel: No.

[45:14] Alan Seales: Have they recorded it yet?

[45:16] Beth Leavel: I don't know if I could watch it. I don't like to watch myself. I'm so critical.

[45:21] Alan Seales: Well, don't be. You're phenomenal. That's why you got the role.

[45:25] Beth Leavel: Thank you. Thank you. Oh, my God.

[45:28] Alan Seales: So on Instagram, you're just at Beth Leavel. L-E-A-V-E-L.

[45:33] Beth Leavel: Yes.

[45:34] Alan Seales: And that's all you got.

[45:36] Beth Leavel: I know. I know. I know. It's sad. I don't do social media.

[45:41] Alan Seales: You don't have to.

[45:42] Beth Leavel: Well, I don't. I don't. I get I do eight shows a week. That's what I do.

[45:47] Alan Seales: And get more of me and The Theatre Podcast at theatre underscore podcast on Instagram and Twitter.

[45:54] Alan Seales: TheTheatrePodcast.com.

[45:57] Alan Seales: Facebook.com slash OfficialTheatrePodcast.

[46:00] Alan Seales: Of course. Big thank you, as always, to our friends Jukebox, the Ghost for this lovely music you hear right now. Please subscribe. Share this podcast. Tell your friends. Go on your app right now. Rate us. Give us give a positive review. All of that fancy stuff that helps us keep going.

[46:16] Beth Leavel: So what you're talking about social media.

[46:22] Alan Seales: Thank you.

[46:22] Beth Leavel: You're welcome. What a great interview. Thank you.